uires more
soothing and domestic appliances after the feverish and consuming
excitements of party life; but the rules of society oblige me to
submit.' As it happened, so narrow is man's foreknowledge, Grillion's
down to the very end of his life, nearly sixty years ahead, had no more
faithful or congenial member.

_July 1st._--Last evening at Lambeth Palace I had a good deal of
conversation with Colonel Gurwood about the Duke of Wellington and
about Canada. He told me an anecdote of Lord Seaton which throws
light upon his peculiar reserve, and shows it to be a modesty of
character, combined no doubt with military habits and notions. When
Captain Colborne, and senior officer of his rank in the 21st foot,
he [Lord Seaton] was military secretary to General Fox during the
war. A majority in his regiment fell vacant, Gen. Fox desired him
to ascertain who was the senior captain on the _command_. 'Captain
So-and-so of the 80th [I think].' 'Write to Colonel Gordon and
recommend him to his royal highness for the vacant majority.' He
did it. The answer came to this effect: 'The recommendation will
not be refused, but we are surprised to see that it comes in the
handwriting of Captain Colborne, the very man who, according to the
rules of the service, ought to have this majority.' General Fox had
forgotten it, and Captain Colborne had not reminded him! The error
was corrected. He (Gurwood) said he had never known the Duke of
Wellington speak on the subject of religion but once, when he
quoted the story of Oliver Cromwell on his death-bed, and said:
'That state of grace, in my opinion, is a state or habit of doing
right, of persevering in duty, and to fall from it is to cease from
acting right.' He always attends the service at 8 A.M. in the
Chapel Royal, and says it is a duty which ought to be done, and the
earlier in the day it is discharged the better. _July 24th._ Heard
[James] Hope in the House of Lords against the Chapters bill; and
he spoke with such eloquence, learning, lofty sentiment, clear and
piercing diction, continuity of argument, just order, sagacious
tact, and comprehensive method, as one would say would have
required the longest experience as well as the greatest natural
gifts. Yet he never acted before, save as counsel for the Edinburgh
and Glasgow railway. If he